Copper based flow batteries

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018233763-A1
Application number	US-201515512079-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 17, 2015
Priority date	Sep 17, 2014
Publication date	Aug 16, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A copper based redox flow cell. In one aspect, the present technology provides a copper based flow battery comprising a first half-cell comprising a first electrolyte providing a source of ions and an electrode disposed within the first half-cell, a second half-cell comprising a second electrolyte providing a source of Cu 2+ and Cu + ions and an electrode disposed within the second half-cell, a separator between the first and second half-cells.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A copper flow redox cell comprising:
a cathodic half-cell comprising a first electrolyte providing a source of ions for a cathodic redox couple and an electrode disposed within the cathodic half-cell; an anodic half-cell comprising a second electrolyte providing a source of Cu 1+ ions and an electrode disposed within the anodic half-cell; and a separator between the first and second half-cells.

2 . The copper flow redox cell of claim 1 , wherein the first electrolyte comprises a solution providing an ionic species suitable for a Fe 2 +/3+ couple, a Br − /Br 2 couple, a Cl − /Cl 2 couple, a V 4+/5+ couple, a Cu 1+/2+ couple, or a combination of two or more thereof.

3 . The copper flow redox cell of claim 1 , wherein the concentration of first electrolyte agent is from about 0.01 M to about 10 M.

4 . The copper flow redox cell of claim 1 , wherein the pH of the first electrolyte is from about 0 to about 2.

5 . The copper flow redox cell of claim 1 , wherein the electrode in the anodic half-cell comprises a slurry comprising electrically conductive particles, copper particles, copper coated particles, or a combination thereof.

6 . The copper flow redox cell of claim 5 , wherein the electrically conductive particles are chosen from graphite particles.

7 . The copper flow redox cell of claim 5 , wherein the electrode in the anodic half-cell comprises copper coated particles chosen from graphite, copper, titanium, or a combination of two or more thereof.

8 . The copper flow redox cell of claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive particles have a particle size of from about 1 micron to about 1500 microns.

9 . The copper flow redox cell of claim 1 , wherein the electrode in the anodic half-cell comprises a metal chosen from copper, silver, titanium, gold, or a combination of two or more thereof.

10 . The copper flow redox cell of claim 1 , wherein the second electrolyte comprises a source of Fe 2+ and Fe 3+ ions.

11 . The copper flow redox cell of claim 1 , wherein the second electrolyte comprises a copper halide.

12 . The copper flow redox cell of claim 1 , wherein the second electrolyte comprises copper bromide.

13 . The copper flow redox cell of claim 12 , wherein the ratio of bromide ions to copper ions is about 5:1 or greater.

14 . The copper flow redox cell of claim 12 , wherein the ration of bromide ions to copper ions is about 3.5:1 to about 16:1.

15 . The copper flow redox cell of claim 1 , wherein the concentration of second electrolyte agent is from about 0.01 M to about 10 M.

16 . The copper flow redox cell of claim 1 , wherein the pH of the second electrolyte is from about 0 to about 2.

17 . The copper flow redox cell of claim 1 , having an energy to power ratio of from about 1 to about 5.

18 . The copper flow redox cell of claim 1 , having a plating capacity of from about 100 mAh/cm 2 to about 500 mAh/cm 2 .

19 . The copper flow redox cell of claim 1 , having a plating efficiency of from about 85% to about 100%.

20 . The copper flow redox cell of claim 1 , having a watt-hour efficiency of about 40% to about 85%.

21 . The copper flow redox cell of claim 1 , wherein the temperature of the electrolyte is from about 0° C. to about 60° C. during operation of the cell.

22 . The copper flow redox cell of claim 1 comprising;
a first storage tank external to the first half-cell for circulating the first electrolyte to and from the first half-cell; and
a second storage tank external to the second half-cell for circulating the second electrolyte to and from the second half-cell.

23 . A battery comprising one or more of the redox flow cells of claim 1 .

Assignees

• Univ Case Western Reserve

Inventors

• Wainright Jesse
• Savinell Robert
• Hawthorne Krista
• Sinclair Nicholas
• Petek Tyler
• Freund Elizabeth

Classifications

• H01M8/04

  Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids · CPC title

• H01M2300/0002

  Aqueous electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/225

  Fuel cells in which the fuel is based on materials comprising particulate active material in the form of a suspension, a dispersion, a fluidised bed or a paste · CPC title

• H01M12/08

  composed of a half-cell of a fuel-cell type and a half-cell of the secondary-cell type · CPC title

• H01M8/188 Primary

  by recharging of redox couples containing fluids; Redox flow type batteries · CPC title